"She's the sweetener to his bitter self."
"And maybe he can get her sober."
In which Draco Malfoy falls in love with a muggle-born Ravenclaw who likes to pretend she doesn't have substance issues.
part 1// 6th year AU (ongoing)
//started: july 2020
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two weeks later
REDEMPTION CAN come in many forms; like genuinely realizing your past mistakes or doing your best to make amends to make up for your past sins. But what redemption isn't is, is having one exception to your cruel ways but continuing them.
In a way that was Draco. His whole life he was told and showed to look down on others who are sympathetic towards muggles, squibs, or were muggle-born themselves. The concept of not treating those poor people like anyone else has always seemed beyond him and out of this world. But from the moment he met Joanna Kwon that all seemed to go out the window- or he was being forced to do that because of their deal. He seriously made a deal with a mudblood.
Joanna made his disgust of muggle-borns feel fake when it came to her, like he was forcing it, but wasn't at the same time. At first he figured he'd grin and bear working with her, that it would be easy enough to do. However, after seeing her in Honeydukes and constantly for their paper he was convinced she was his exception. When he looked at her he didn't even think of her blood status anymore, or tried not to. What he saw now was a kind girl with all the potential in the world as a wizard- which couldn't be possible. People like her or Granger shouldn't be here.
Each day was an internal battle for Draco. Like good and bad fighting back and forth. One day he could see her smiling face, the next day he'd need to avoid her.
Draco had seen the girl on Friday and Wednesday the last two weeks and he found himself strangely... looking forward to the meetings. And he didn't think it was because he loved the topic they had been writing about, he despised it actually. Draco Malfoy writing about chemistry, how stupid.
If anyone was actually paying attention to Draco they would see his eyes boring into a girl from across the Great Hall. He watched as she laughed talking to a boy named Thomas, looking very delighted. It made his chest tighten. And soon some people around him saw where his gaze travels-
"See something you like?" Blaise teased as he followed his friends line of sight.
"Hmph."
"Do you even talk to her about anything not alchemy related?" Pansy piped in curious because she knew they spend more time than normal work partners do together. Draco was seated in between Pansy and Blaise with no place to run.
"In matter of fact, yes." he hesitated but lowered his voice to a whisper before anyone else at the table could hear, "We've ran into each other at Honeydukes before. And I guess we've gotten to know each other more than I have with any girl the last few weeks- besides you Pansy."
"She's something else right?" Pansy joked, jabbing him with her elbow in the ribs.
"Guess you can say that."
"But what? I know that face." Draco had always had a hard time hiding how he feels. His face was almost always going to show annoyance, anger, or happiness in situations.
